As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Tuesday, 14 June 2016

Spice gull: seabird turns orange after falling into vat of curry

Photograph: Vale wildlife hospital/PA

Wildlife hospital uses washing-up liquid to clean bird that was scavenging for food at factory

A seagull turned bright orange after it fell into a vat of chicken tikka masala.

The bird fell into the container while trying to scavenge meat from a food factory bin on Monday. It was rescued by workers at the site in Wales, and picked up by a volunteer for Vale wildlife hospital, near Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire.

Staff at the hospital used washing-up liquid to remove the bright orange from the seagull’s feathers. They returned him to its original white colour but have not been able to wash away the smell of curry.

Lucy Kells, veterinary nurse at the hospital, said: “He really surprised everyone here – we had never seen anything like it before. He had fallen into a waste vat of curry that was outside, it was chicken tikka masala. The thing that shocked us the most was the smell. He smelled amazing, he really smelled good.

“He cleaned up surprisingly well at the hospital, we used washing-up liquid a few times.”

The bird, which has been nicknamed “Gullfrazie” on Facebook, was put into a cage after his ordeal. Staff are feeding it meat, dog and cat food and pieces of chopped fish to build up his weight.